Finding Gold in Colorado

They say gold fever strikes everybody, and several years ago it struck the author. He bought part of the gold mine near Central City. He suspects the part of the mine he ownes is that part that flew over the fence last. However, the mine is supposed to be rejuvenated and brought back online, some one of these days.

Colorado has a long history of mining that began when they discovered gold in the Pike's Peak area. Once again the rush was on and this time it was led by cries of “Pikes Peak or Bust” complete with some artists rendering of what he thought Pike's Peak looked like. Unfortunately, he drew a mountain peak all right but it looks like no other mountain on Earth let alone in Colorado.

The man's name who discovered the first gold was Bob Womack. He discovered gold on the ranch where he worked as a cowboy. That ranch was located on the slopes of Pikes Peak. As soon as word got out about Womack's discovery the rush was on. Would be prospectors flocked to Colorado to take part in the riches. Many of them were disappointed, but some became fabulously rich. A lot of mining activity took place in the Central City district that today is a hub of gambling. Most of the mines have been worked out except the one we owned part of, ant that’s full of water. Today you could probably make more money from the 35 acres of the mine site by turning it into a parking lot for Central City.

The gold rush was centered around Cripple Creek, but spread throughout the gold belt from Flores in the North to Florence in the South. There was actually more gold that was mined Colorado during the rush than there was in the California or Klondike Gold Rushes. At least 22,000,000 ounces of gold it was probably mined in the second largest gold rush in North America that was exceeded only by the gold production that came out of the Abitibi Gold Belt of Canada in the region of Québec and Ontario that over the years has produced more than 155,000,000 ounces of gold.

The gold in Colorado is associated mainly with the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains where it was emplaced as hydrothermal veins that spread out from the volcanic centers. A whole suite of metals were emplaced at the same time including lead, zinc and silver. The other important metal found in Colorado is molybdenum found at Climax, Colorado. Any of the rivers and streams that drain the Front Range carry placer gold.

The author has panned for gold in several spots along the upper Colorado river with a certain amount of success. There are many localities for mining placer gold that are open to the recreational gold prospector. Many areas that produce gold have been closed to the public due to government actions.

There is a very active group of prospectors in Colorado that go by the name “Colorado Prospector.” They have a large collection of localities where you can go prospecting or panning at your leisure and are a good group to join up with to further your search for gold.

For more information about gold mining go here!

If you like to read about gems go here

References:

Colorado Prospector, http://www.coloradoprospector.com/

Colorado Geological Survey, http://geosurvey.state.co.us/

Gold Belt Tour and Scenic Byway, http://byway.org/explore/byways/2109/